1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combined adzing and boring machine and more particularly to a machine which successively moves a plurality of crossties along a travel path through the machine for leveling the rail plate supporting surfaces and boring rail spike pilot holes in the crossties.
Railway crossties are usually provided on the surface to be disposed upwardly with recesses for receiving rail plates which in turn support and secure the rails to the crosstie by railroad spikes being driven through pilot holes formed in the rail plates and into the crosstie. Since crossties are usually formed of hard wood, such as oak, it is customary to drill pilot holes in the crosstie for receiving the rail spikes for accuracy and ease in driving the spikes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art patents generally disclose relatively complicated and expensive apparatus for adzing and boring railroad crossties which require clamping jaws or gripping members for holding the crosstie in position while being acted on from its depending surface, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 582,915 and 1,704,273. Other patents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,161,986 and 1,210,908, require tracks for moving the machine relative to the crosstie rather than moving the crossties through the machine.
This invention provides a relatively simple and economical open-type framework which progressively moves crossties along a travel path through the machine which does not require clamp means for supporting the crosstie when acted on by the machine.